How a VARNISHING MISTAKE Almost RUINED One of My Paintings (Tutorial on Oiling Out & Beading Up)

The varnish protects the painting from dirt and dust and basically works as a sacrificial layer covering the actual paint. So whatever happens over time to the painting, whoever smokes next to it, spills drink on it, the varnish is going to take the beating, not the paint. Then in the future, if someone cares, all they’ll have to do will be to remove the varnish and the paint will be intact. It also evens out the sheen on the surface and improves the colors, especially the dark tones.

For safety, varnish in a well ventilated area, right here in my studio I have a mechanical ventilation system that renews the air constantly but you can varnish outside or in an open garage.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:54 Why Varnish
01:44 How to varnish
04:58 Oiling out
08:07 Learn from my mistake
12:15 Fixing Beading Up Issues

Like and subscribe !

***
LINKS

➡ Thank you for supporting me on Patreon!

➡ LEARN OIL PAINTING - A 7 HOURS VIDEO COURSE :

➡ ADVANCED PAINTING COURSE ON COLOR AND PAINT - A 9HR COURSE :

➡ Free Resources for artists :

✔ Social media :

Facebook :

Instagram :

Support me on PATREON and access real-time tutorials with commentary (and more) :

If you want to connect with me, the best option is to use the contact form on my website.

Write me :

***

About me (bio) :
Website :

I am an artist living and working in France. I learned the techniques of the Atelier of the Nineteenth century and now I try to share some of my knowledge with the rest of the world, because I think that beauty still has an important role to play in artistic creation. I do mostly drawing and oil painting, and my goal is always to provide techniques, thoughts and explanations that can be useful to anyone, from beginners to more advanced artists.

The material I use most of the time (not necessarily in this video) :

Drawing
✓ Kneaded eraser
✓ Plumb line (DIY)
✓ Small mirror
✓ An old synthetic brush
✓ Masking tape
✓ Cutter
✓ Sandpaper or sanding block
✓ Mahlstick or Hand rest (DIY)
✓ Level ruler
Graphite
✓ Pencils 2H, HB and 2B
Charcoal
✓ If available: Nitram charcoals (H, HB and B)
✓ Square charcoals
Black and white chalk
✓ Sketch pencil Conté white
✓ Square Conté noir : HB and 2B
✓ Chalk or pencil holder
✓ Pencil sketch Conté Pierre noire : H and HB
Sanguine
✓ Sketch pencil Conté : Blood and blood Medici
✓ Crayon Polychromos Faber-Castel : sanguine
✓ Sketch pencil Conté white
Oil painting
Palette
(Extra-fine paint, recommended brands depending on availability: Sennelier, Lefranc Bourgeois, Winsor and Newton, Royal Talens Rembrandt, Blockx, Michael Harding, Gamblin)
✓ Titanium White PW6
✓ Flake White (or substitute) PW1
✓ Cadmium Yellow light (or "lemon") PY35
✓ Yellow Ochre PY42
✓ Raw Umber PBr7
✓ Transparent Red Oxyde PR101
✓ Burnt Umber PBr7
✓ Venetian Red PR101
✓ Pyrrole Red PR255
✓ Quinacridone Rose PV19
✓ Quinacridone Magenta PV19
✓ Ultramarine Blue PB29
✓ Mars Black PBk11
✓ Cobalt Teal Blue (turquoise light) PG50
✓ Phthalo green warm PG36
Brushes
✓ Filbert hog bristle and Synthetic sizes n° 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12
✓ Flat Synthetic brushes (same size)
✓ Round sable brush or round Kolinsky sable n° 4, 8, 10, 12 (from the size of the nail (about one inch) or synthetic imitation
Medium
✓ Linseed stand oil
✓ Odorless mineral spirits
✓ Or Alkyd medium (Liquin, Galkyd, Flow'n'Dry etc.)
✓ Safflower oil
Surface
✓ Linen canvas, fine grain universal coating
✓ For studies : Canson oil-acrylic oil paper Figueras
Others
✓ Palette
✓ Sponge and spalter brushes
✓ Palette knife in the shape of a water drop, no souldering
✓ A few small pots, containers, jars...
✓ Paper towels

***
#art #painting #inspiration
***

Thanks for watching !

[kevinhawley]

This HAS TO BE one of the most valuable lessons an oil painter could have!... I've already ruined one painting and didn't know why... now I do. What a headache this avoids in the future is priceless. As always, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the info! You're one of the best! & I loved the gallery paintings!

[CynicalSaint]

Florent, I have followed you for years, and am so appreciative of your contribution to the art community. Congratulations on your solo show. It is well-deserved. Tout à vous

[tombittorf]

The tip with the sponge is pure gold. This is like the 10 % information you only get at artschool masterclass i guess 😅😀

[peterbeck]

I have had problems with oil and varnish beading up on several of my paintings and never knew how to fix the problem. Thank you so much for the information!

[lilanthia]

I’m INCREDIBLY new to oil painting, there’s so much more chemistry than I imagined! 😂😂 thank you for this video, I learned so much 🧡

[tinkerno]

Such great information, thank you. All the very best with your exhibition

[mshelthy]

Congratulations on your upcoming show!! So exciting! You deserve it. You have worked hard for this. Congratulations again!

[Hootowlsonly]

Wow, thank you! I’ve been researching how to varnish an oil painting and no one else had explained the importance on oiling out a painting before you varnish it. This has probably saved me some future disappointment and confusion

[chrisgriffith]

This confirms some of the things I have had issues with... so many people give advise that counters what other information I knew about other products. Beading up is commonly misinterpreted to be a problem with the way someone is applying the varnish, when its a problem is the oil surface. When I suggest a fine pumice polish using water and and a soft rag, and everyone always freaks out and calls me an idiot. I am pretty sure that is not the case, they are the idiots, most of their solutions are various versions of crude "sanding" of the surface with nontraditional sanding implements (such as a stiff brush or some form of etching using mineral spirits) to facilitate bonding of the varnish. The community ignorance surrounding this is amazing to me and left me quite salty. Thank you for clarifying the issues here!

[zachsicle]

You are a life saver! I was having the beading up issue with my gamvar and now I know why! Thank you so much

[rachelpetruccillo]

Thank you for sharing this information. You're correct, it is not an issue that is talked about by artists very often and even product manufacturers don't provide much information. I've never seen anyone suggest the gentle abrasion method or note the importance of using the same medium used in the painting. I also didn't know that it becomes more challenging the longer a painting sits which is making me consider varnishing my paintings before they are sold. Very useful info!

[rubenscasco]

I'm one of your follower, I'm so gratefull watching every topics and different subjects you share..Congratulations for your coming exhibition. More Power 👍

[lilliankoponen]

Thank you so much for all the detailed and well-explained information. I am going to watch this vid again in a few days - so much to learn here!. I had horrible beading up issues a few years back when I was using a lot of Stand Oil - ugh. Now I love to use the Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel and also Rublev's Oleogel. I will try the oiling out procedure soon and before I use Gamvar.. So glad to have found your channel.

[kirstenthomas.]

I came across this just as I had "been lazy" and left a painting unattended for 6 months! Sure enough a tiny area was beading. This has saved my painting! Such valuable information about surface tension and other things I would not have considered. thank you!

[MelanieMaguire]

Congratualtions on your upcoming show! It looks amazing...If possible, it would be great if you took a video camera around it and gave us a personal tour... for those of us, too far to come in person. Thanks for the beading up tricks, I've experienced beading up just recently. :)

[rutbrea]

You're a great teacher, the best of the best I have seen on YouTube 🎉❤

[meredithnichols]

this was so helpful. having not gone to art school--the most challenging things to figure out were how to use oil and solvents to prep, support, and finish my work, and also just working with different types of pigments/mixing pigments--what works/what doesn't. This helped fill in some gaps for me. Thank you!

[---Dana----]

Wow. This happened to me a couple days ago when oiling out a low key painting. I just tried scrubbing with a stiff brush as you suggested and it worked! Thank you so much.

[juloslesbonstuyos]

Merci Florent j’ai tellement galéré à trouver une solution pour ce problème de varnish beading, et ta vidéo pop dans mon fil! Encore merci!

[tshobe]

Thank you Florent! I appreciate you and all your work to help us all! I wish I could see your showing in Paris....good luck!